By A Correspondent
Imphal, May 10:
Biswasi Butterfly Orchid (Papilionanthe biswasiana), a medium sized orchid growing on trees, found only in Burma, Thailand and China, was recorded for the first time in India by a team of New Delhi based websites for flowers called the Flowers of India from Manipur.
This cool growing orchid growing on trees, with an erect to pendulous, stout, often unbranched stem carrying well spaced, is native to China South-Central, Myanmar, Thailand.
A flower hunter team who had been contributing photographs of many flowers to The Flowers of India team, photographed the orchid (Papilionanthe biswasiana) while exploring floristic diversity at Khangkhui area in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, the natural habitat of state flower Shirui Lily (Lilium Mackliniae) which blossom in May-June, according to Tabish Qureshi of The Flowers of India.
This new orchid plant was recorded from Khangkhui area in Ukhrul district, says Tabish, creator of the 17 year old site. Later it was identified by Botanist (Orchid ecology & Taxonomy) Dr Pankaj Kumar of Hong Kong based Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden,a conservation and education centre.
This species was not reported earlier and is a new addition to the flora of the country. Tabish, a physicist by profession also claimed that this rare plant must be growing in similar climate in North East but nobody realised it
In August 2018, Aristolochia ovatifolia, a climbing shrub found in China, was also spotted for the first time in India by a team of Flowers of India in Manipur. The oval-leaf Pipevine species was known as “Ngashanwon” at the Shirui village in Ukhrul district. The name pipevine refers to the unusual shape of the flowers, which look like Dutch smoking pipes. The flower was also once featured in the ‘newly added flower first’ category of www.flowersofindia.net
